"Familiar and the unexpected" (Graeme Burton 2000)

 
Laura
Research: Music Video's

 Within this music video it completes all the codes and conventions, including the artist, 
other performers and a dance routine that catches the eye of the audience. 
The video is so unusual and disorientated that it catches your eyes and makes you want to 
watchit till the very end. We will interpret these ideas into our music video as this has inspired 
us to be creative and come up with new ideas. 
The genre characteristics in this music video are disturbing as the song is 
called and relates to the term 'disturbia'. The visuals and lyrics are shown through the images you see, 
that are blurred with various effects that change colour throughout the video. 
The music is very upbeat and catchy, again attracting the viewer.

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Conventions of a music video (Goodwins six points)

- Genre characteristics

- Visuals/ lyrics

- Visuals/ Music

- Need to sell artist

- Intertextuality

- Voyeurism

Conventions of music Video/Promo

(Goodwin)

- There is a relationship between the lyrics and the visuals

  (with the visuals either illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics)

- There is a relationship between the music and the visuals 

(again with visuals either illustrating, amplifying or contradicting the lyrics)

- Particular music genres might have there own music video style and iconography  

(such as live performance in heavy rock)

-There is a demand on the part of the record company for lots of close ups of the main artist/vocalist

-The artist may develop there own star iconography, in an out of their videos which over time becomes their star image.

-There is likely to be reference to voyeurism, particularly in the treatment of women, but also in terms 'in looking' e.g. screens within screens.

-There are likely to be intertextual references, either to other music video, films or TV texts

Conventions of music Video/Promo

(Pete Fraser Teaching Music Video 2005)

- Lyrics: Tend to establish a general feeling or mood rather than offering a choerent meaning. Key lines may play in visuals associated with the song but very rarely will a video mirror all the lyrics of the song. 
- Music: A music video tends to make use of the tempo of the track to drive the editing.

- Genre: While some videos transcend genre, others can be easily categorised. These features may be reflected in the types of mise en scene, themes, performance, cinematography and editing style.

- Cinematography: As with any moving image text, the way the camera is used has a significant impact on meaning. Camera movement, shot and distance all need to be analysed.

Camera movement may accompany the movement of performers (Walking, dancing) but may also be used to create a more dynamic feel to stage performance e.g. consistantly circling the band as they perform on stage.

 The close up predominates music video, partly due to the size of the screen but also due to the desire to create an intimacy for the viewer. It also emphasises the commodity on sale- the artist and voice.

- Editing: Although the most common form of editing used is the fast-cut montage- rendering many of the imaged impossible to grasp in the first viewing- ensuring multiple viewings- some videos do use pace and gentler shot transitions/cuts to establish mood.

Conventions of music Video/Promo
(Pete Fraser Teaching Music Video 2005) 
Intertexuality: "Music video as incorporating, raidind and reconstructing". (J.Stewart)
Music videos often use something with which the audience will be familar with to create nostalgia and associations with e.g. Beastie Boys Sabotage and Tv Cop shows, Madonna's Material Girl and Marilyn Monroe's film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It is not unusal that many videos draw on cinema- as this is usually where film school graduates start in music video.
Narrative and performance: Narrative in songs, as in poetry, is rarely complete and fragmented. Music videos tend to suggest storylines and offer fragmented non-linear narratives- leacing the audience with a desire to see them again.
The video allows a more varied access to the performer than a concert can. The mise en scene in a particular can be used:-
* As a guarantee of 'authenticity' of a bands musical virtuosity by showing them in a stage performance or rehersal room.
* To establish a relationship to familar film or TV genres in a narrative based video.
* As part of voyeuristic context by suggesting a setting associated with sexual allure, such as a sleazy nightclub or boudoir.
* Or, as John Steward suggests, to emphasise an aspirational lifestyle, as in the current emphasis on the latest gadgetry.


Music Video's.... research continues
That we can base our ideas on, we saw these music videos on television and thought that we wanted to include all three areas of genre, by using a narrative, performance and being experimental.
We are also looking at inspirational videos that are more or less the same to what genre we will be working with, such as an indie rock band. This would help us with our codes and conventions needed for our product.


The Cribs: Men's needs.


This music video, includes experimentation with the song words at the beginning and also with a performer, but the artist has chosen to be the main key feature, whilst having a naked girl walking round stage and the song being called 'Men's Needs' is quite ironic.

New Order: Blue Monday


This music video has used animations as experimentation, i found this interesting to watch, and it also gave me ideas for my project. This video also includes the band members, which i thought was good as i am adding the performers in to.

Oasis: Stop Crying Your Heart Out


This music video has included all three genres, it starts off with a narrative of a young ethinic girl and then the camera turns to the performers, it is also experimental with the cinematography.

Scarlett

Scarlett and Laura